Office Hours with John Gardner
We are searching for big ideas that inspire hope and action in higher education around institutional transformation and innovation to advance student success and more equitable student outcomes. Joining John Gardner are higher education leaders and other relevant persons of interest who will discuss innovation and strategies that improve higher education.The Gardner Institute, a 24-year-old non-profit, has been at the forefront of innovation in higher education; our mission very clearly connects us to the broader societal efforts to increase social justice.The Gardner Institute connects with thousands of professionals in the higher education ecosystem; through a wide array of activities such as Transformative Conversations, the Teaching and Learning Academy, and the Socially Just Design Series, and through our work as an Intermediary for Scale supported by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. As a leader in the student success movement in higher education, we strive to provide support for institutions interested in social justice and institutional transformation.
Office Hours with John Gardner
Will Bryant- Compassion and Engagement
Will Bryant is a native of Western North Carolina and was ordained in the Episcopal Church in 2021.
Will holds a Bachelor’s degree in Journalism from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and a Master of Divinity degree from Church Divinity School of the Pacific in Berkeley, California.
With over 12 years of experience working in and among Episcopal congregations, Will is passionate about pastoral care, preaching, and youth ministry. He currently acts as the dean of the Asheville deanery. He is a product of Camp Henry, and he attended the diocesan summer camp for over a decade as a camper and counselor. He proudly serves on the Board of Directors for the Lake Logan Episcopal Center.
Will is a proud alumnus of the Young Adult Service Corps of the Episcopal Church (YASC). Will completed two years as a YASC missionary, proudly serving at the Mission to Seafarers in Hong Kong, and St. Paul's Within the Walls Episcopal Church in Rome, Italy.
When not at church, you can probably find Will out running or hiking on one of Asheville's many trails. He loves being outside, cooking, reading fiction, and playing backgammon. He and his wife, Molly, and their charming dog, Camper, live in West Asheville.
